Mackenzie Weegar is Good

[The Yen Man]

From the start, I wasn't too worried about Weegar's contract extension. For his style of play, he can still be very effective going into his thirties.

It was always Huberdeau and Kadri that I had more worries about. I think Huberdeau will have a bounce back year next year. But Kadri needs to pick it up more. He started strong, but has not looked consistent enough in the back half of the year.

[TheIronMaiden]

I agree Yen Man, although I think Kadri I more likely to bounce back than Huderdeau.
Kadri had a double short off season both having a long playoff run and needed to rehab an injury.

[Bingo]

Huberdeau sees the ice well but is trying too many low percentage plays. That can be fixed.

Kadri doesn't seem to see the ice at all. That is tougher to fix.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Huberdeau sees the ice well but is trying too many low percentage plays. That can be fixed.

Kadri doesn't seem to see the ice at all. That is tougher to fix.

That's kind of how I'm seeing it too from my non educated observations. Huberdeau is just trying too hard and forcing passes. I feel once he's got a season under his belt and he's settled down, he'll let the passes come more naturally, and will be better going forward.

Kadri, on the other hand, he started off seeing the ice well, but lately, he seems out of position, shoots from low danger areas, and does not use his linemates well (which to be fair, the last one has always been a the knock with him, so shouldn't be surprised by that one I guess)

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Huberdeau sees the ice well but is trying too many low percentage plays. That can be fixed.

He's been a finesse playmaker his whole career, I wouldn't expect that to change at this point.

[Enoch Root]

I think some people don't watch defensemen on other teams much. We notice the mistakes/turnovers that our defensemen make, but when it happens the other way, we tend to watch it from the perspective of our opportunity, more than who was it that made the turnover.

Weegar is an elite defenseman. Full stop. The numbers sow it, and his play shows it.

Also, that PDO number is hilarious - it's been a tough year to be a Flame

[Burning Beard]

Weegar needs a letter next year. Consistently gives a s### and will be here for a while.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Burning Beard

Weegar needs a letter next year. Consistently gives a s### and will be here for a while.

Definitely deserves a letter. And I think he is a better choice for the C than the other popular candidates - Tanev is probably not going to be here long term, and Backlund just isn't the guy, IMO.

Weegar as captain is not the worst choice

[GioforPM]

I dislike C discussions since I don't think we know enough about the room. However, on ice, he's as close to Gio as you can get, minus some of the offence.

[Erick Estrada]

Kind of weird how his name was being floated about at the deadline.

[bigrangy]

With Kadri, he is playing about as well as he could have reasonably been expected to play outside of his total outlier last season. His scoring rates and possessions stats are basically in line with career averages and natural progression. What’s concerning is he’s already frustrating to watch and he’s only going to get worse. Maybe he ages well, idk. Lets’s hope so.

Weegar is nice because he’s not someone that needs babysitting out there. I never panic when I see him on the ice, like when I panic seeing Hanifin try to defend all stars or when Kylington would get lost defending the cycle, or Zadorov chasing the wrong guy. It’s so nice to have a guy you can just throw out there against anyone, like Tanev as well.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Kind of weird how his name was being floated about at the deadline.

um, what?

[BeltlineFan]

In last year's playoffs, Weegar was one of the very best at stopping zone entries.

And no one was worse than Troy Stetcher...

https://twitter.com/user/status/1552312254736920576

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Saqe

He's been a finesse playmaker his whole career, I wouldn't expect that to change at this point.

You can be a play maker making less low percentage (blind) plays.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Kind of weird how his name was being floated about at the deadline.

Ottawa was on the hunt for that right shot dman before landing Chychrun

Doesn't mean he was being shopped on the Calgary side.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Bingo

You can be a play maker making less low percentage (blind) plays.

I don't see many blind passes. I see a lot of difficult ones that are lower percentage (but if they work they will be gold opportunities). and of the latter I see a fair bit that actually make it but that are not converted at the otehr end, either by the recipient messing up or by a good save. That's life with a creative player IMO. I think we've forgotten how many Gaudreau passes didn't work, especially as Monahan got less and elss effective on the other end.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I don't see many blind passes. I see a lot of difficult ones that are lower percentage (but if they work they will be gold opportunities). and of the latter I see a fair bit that actually make it but that are not converted at the otehr end, either by the recipient messing up or by a good save. That's life with a creative player IMO. I think we've forgotten how many Gaudreau passes didn't work, especially as Monahan got less and elss effective on the other end.

I see a lot of spinning backhands to no one ...

Sure there was a guy heading in that general direction, but the non sighted spinning backhand is a very low percentage play

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I see a lot of spinning backhands to no one ...

Sure there was a guy heading in that general direction, but the non sighted spinning backhand is a very low percentage play

There have been some, for sure. Too many this year.

But as GioforPM said, there have been a LOT of passes that weren't received well, or were wasted. Far too many.

As a recent example (last game), he hit Kadri(?) in the slot, on the tape, with a beautiful pass, and Kadri flubbed it. Should have been a good scoring chance at the minimum. Just one example of course, but there have been countless.

I think one of the Flames' biggest problems this year, offensively, is their inability to take a pass, or to make a good pass on the tape. Their passing has been dreadful. And it absolutely kills their momentum and speed.

as soon as you flub a pass, the defense has time to regroup, and your transition game is dead in the water.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

There have been some, for sure. Too many this year.

But as GioforPM said, there have been a LOT of passes that weren't received well, or were wasted. Far too many.

As a recent example (last game), he hit Kadri(?) in the slot, on the tape, with a beautiful pass, and Kadri flubbed it. Should have been a good scoring chance at the minimum. Just one example of course, but there have been countless.

I think one of the Flames' biggest problems this year, offensively, is their inability to take a pass, or to make a good pass on the tape. Their passing has been dreadful. And it absolutely kills their momentum and speed.

as soon as you flub a pass, the defense has time to regroup, and your transition game is dead in the water.

It's night and day how different they are when they make passes versus not. I suppose that's for every team, but to me it's much bigger than posts, shots, etc.

As for Huberdeau, I just don't see him passing to no one very often at all. Even his poorly thought out ones are just into traffic.

[Redlan]

Mackenzie Weegar is God...much better